Don’t Change your Warm-up Routine for an Event

How much do you warm-up before a casual round of golf? How much do you warm-up before a tournament? The answer to these two questions should be exactly the same.

Some people make the mistake of showing up early to a tournament or event to get in extra practice. Extra swings are fine, if this is what you normally do, but it can be detrimental to your round if it’s not your normal routine. Here are a few reasons why:

You don’t want to tire yourself out. Hitting 100 balls on the range might seem like a good way to get your swing consistent for the tournament, but the only thing this will do is exhaust you by the time you reach the back 9. Save your energy.

Too much practice before a tournament can mess with your mental game. The more balls you hit, good or bad, the more chance you have to overthink your performance. If a tournament seems more like a casual round, you’re more apt to play like that – relaxed and without pressure.

Finally, golf is all about tempo. When you practice longer than you usually do, it puts your tempo out of whack. Plus, the range before a tournament is neither the time nor place to start making changes to your swing, which is the risk you run when you increase your pre-tournament warm up time.

So, whether it’s a casual round or a high-pressure tournament, when it comes to your pre-play warm up, consider them equal.